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From: laura@l5.uucp (Laura Creighton)
Newsgroups: net.politics.theory
Subject: Re: Free lunches
Message-ID: <196@l5.uucp>
Date: Wed, 16-Oct-85 10:16:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: l5.196
Posted: Wed Oct 16 10:16:45 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 18-Oct-85 20:25:32 EDT
References: <8509171814.AA23399@ucbopal.Berkeley.Edu> <1803@psuvax1.UUCP> <149@l5.uucp> <1712@dciem.UUCP>
Reply-To: laura@l5.UUCP (Laura Creighton)
Organization: Ell-Five [Consultants], San Francisco
Lines: 42

A little context would be useful, Martin.  But it is more fun to talk about
solar energy, of course.  In case anyone missed it, though, the Free Lunch
problem is not about energy resources.  The Free Lunch problem is about the
cherished belief that it is possible to get something for nothing.  This
belief fuels mutch of organised gambling, lotteries, and (alas) political
campaigns.

There may be nothing that one can do, (or that one wants to do) about this
shining belief.  However,  the way that politicians use this belief to
get elected is sickenning.  How many election promises come with a price
tag? 

Most don't.  The advocates of a protective tarrif just do not get around
to telling the taxpayers that they are paying taxes to support the bureacrats
who administer the tarrif.  Or that they will be paying again when they have
to pay the inflated prices. Those who could make a profit selling a new
product based on the untarriffed product are not told that they are
going to be hurt because they cannot afford it at a new rate.

The advocates of a minimum wage simply do not get around to telling you that
they are causing wide-spread unemployment among the unskilled who would be
willing to work for less money.

The advocates of socialised medicine do not tell you what studies of the
*quality* of health care have shown has happened in England and Canada.

The hidden costs simply do not get mentioned.  Often even the not-very-hidden
costs are also not mentioned.  And the relationship between the not-very-hidden
costs and my income tax next year is always unclear.

But Reagan can promise to spend more for the military, not cut the level of
support provided for the deserving poor and not raise taxes -- AND HE CAN
GET ELECTED.  Astonishing.  But it would be so nice to believe that this
is possible, and if it had a chance of working it would be such a great
thing, and politicians can't make irresponsible statements like that in
public, can they?  I really can get all of this for free....


-- 
Laura Creighton		
sun!l5!laura		(that is ell-five, not fifteen)
l5!laura@lll-crg.arpa